Guest: Dr. Robert (Bob) Zubrin. Topics: Everything Mars, Mars Society Arctic 365 and more. Please direct all comments and questions regarding Space Show programs/guest(s) to the Space Show blog, http://thespaceshow.wordpress.com. Comments and questions should be relevant to the specific Space Show program. Written Transcripts of Space Show programs are a violation of our copyright and are not permitted without prior written consent, even if for your own use. We do not permit the commercial use of Space Show programs or any part thereof, nor do we permit editing, YouTube clips, or clips placed on other private channels & websites. Space Show programs can be quoted, but the quote must be cited or referenced using the proper citation format. Contact The Space Show for further information. In addition, please remember that your Amazon purchases can help support The Space Show/OGLF. See www.onegiantleapfoundation.org/amazon.htm. For those listening to archives using live365.com and rating the programs, please email me as to why you assign a specific rating to the show. This will help me bring better programming to the audience. We welcomed Dr. Zubrin back to the show for this 90 minute discussion about everything Mars and the Mars Society. Dr. Zubrin opened up by telling us about the Mars Artic 365 program (http://ma365.marssociety.org) and their fund raising efforts through Indiegogo and other programs (www.indiegogo.com/projects/ma365-a-one-year-mars-simulation-in-the-canadian-arctic). Throughout the entire program, Dr. Zubrin received questions/comments about Arctic 365. He was asked about telepresence and having the sim in a more populated place than the arctic. Bob dismissed telepresence as not being nearly as effective as having humans work "on Mars" & he stressed the importance of simulating a real Mars working mission. Bob went over the logistics and scheduling for this first crew for Arctic 365, plus remaining opportunities and ways for people to participate in the program as the crew selection process is closed. We talked about the costs and crew skill sets, plus Mars Society fund raising efforts for this program. Jack emailed about radiation on Mars and as before, Bob suggested it was not as big a risk as many claim. He was also asked about teaming up with Mars One on Arctic 365 program. Bob said he was open to doing things with Mars One and suggested Arctic 365 would be a perfect training program those who train the Mars One crews. Later, Bob was asked about doing a completely private mission to Mars. Bob used this as a spring board to describing the kind of policy & political leadership in government and NASA, both of which he said absent for now. He even proposed some broad based financing suggestions. Doug called wanting to know his thoughts on Phobos & Deimos. Bob used this as an opportunity to support a flyby mission. He was not that supportive of visiting the Marian moons. Don't miss his explanation for his position. As the segment was ending, I asked him about life on Mars. Bob thinks there probably is life on Mars, don't miss what he had to say about this. In the second segment, Steve asked Bob about the Delta V needed for going to the Moon as compared to Mars. He talked about the Moon being easier than Mars. Again, don't miss all of Bob's response to Steve's question/comment. NASA and political leadership were more fully discussed in this segment, then he was asked about the SLS. Here, Bob had a lot to say. While critical of SLS, he would not cancel it. Again, don't miss his comments on this topic. He talked about SpaceX & Falcon 9, heavy lift in general, crew size on a Mars mission, and finally possible threats from the Chinese space program. Toward the end he talked about electric propulsion for slow cargo missions, then I asked him for his thoughts on the Mars cycler system. Please post your comments/questions on TSS blog. You can email Dr. Zubrin through me.

About our guest...

Dr. Robert Zubrin, The Mars SocietyDr. Robert Zubrin is a noted author and the Founder of The Mars Society. The Mars Society, an international organization dedicated to furthering the exploration and settlement of Mars by both public and private means. Dr. Zubrin is also President of Pioneer Astronautics, an aerospace R&D company located in Lakewood, Colorado. Dr. Zubrin was formerly a Staff Engineer at Lockheed Martin Astronautics in Denver, he holds a Masters degree in Aeronautics and Astronautics and a Ph.D. in Nuclear Engineering from the University of Washington. Zubrin is the inventor of several unique concepts for space propulsion and exploration, the author of over 100 published technical and non-technical papers in the field, and was a member of Lockheed Martin’s “scenario development team” charged with developing broad new strategies for space exploration. In that capacity, he was responsible for developing the "Mars Direct" mission plan, a strategy which by using Martian resources, allows a human Mars exploration program to be conducted at a cost 1/8th that previously estimated by NASA. Zubrin is known internationally as one of the most creative engineers working in the aerospace industry today, and he and his work have been subject of much favorable press coverage in The Economist, The New York Times, The Boston Globe, the London Times, The Washington Post, Fortune Magazine, Newsweek, Air and Space Smithsonian, Popular Science, Omni, Space News, and many other publications. He is the holder of two US Patents, and has two more pending. In addition to his technical publications, Dr. Zubrin is the author of "The Case for Mars: How We Shall Settle the Red Planet and Why We Must," published by Simon and Schuster’s Free Press Division in Oct. 1996, and “Entering Space: Creating a Spacefaring Civilization,” published by Tarcher Putnam in Aug. 1999, and “Mars on Earth” published by Tarcher Penguin in Sept. 2003. His book, “The Holy Land,” is a science fiction satire of the current situation in the Middle East. Dr. Zubrin has also written a play about Benedict Arnold. His latest book, "How To Live On Mars: A Trusty Guidebook To Surviving And Thriving On The Red Planet," is a must read.

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